About Company

.

History

The Information below is from an April 1970 article published in the Forrest City Times Herald.,
("Crude" Water System Built by Gen. Forrest)

When Forrest city was surveyed out for a town site, there was probably a crude water system in existence.

General Nathan B. Forrest established a work camp on what is now known as Front Street for the purpose of cutting through Crowley's Ridge for the Rock Island Railroad. It is presumed, from evidence, that Gen. Forrest put down a dug well, using a screw type pump, powered by mules or horses traveling in a circle. From this well, wooden pipe was constructed leading from about Washington and Front streets, down Front to Rosser, north on Rosser to Hill and west on Hill to about Grant Street.

The wooden water main appeared to be made out of long eight inch diameter poles, hewed out, bound together, leaving an opening through them of approximately four inches. Some of this wooden water main was dug up in construction work by J.J. O'Fallin in 1961 near the corner of North Rosser and Hill Street, probably leading to watering troughs for work animals.

After the town was established and building began, the earliest sources of supply was, of course, dug wells, cisterns and old plunger pumps. Also figuring in the water supply picture was Stuart Springs (also known as Norphleet Springs), form which citizens carried the water home in containers for home use. these springs were located at the extreme end of East Arkansas Street in the north end of town site.

Around the turn of the century (by 1905), the city of Forrest City owned its own water system. It consisted of three wells approximately 500 feet deep, a steam operated pumping plant using the air-life pumping principle, a round 100,000 gallon brick-constructed reservoir, and two small elevated steel tanks. This plant was located on South Forrest Street in rear of present County Court House, known as City Jail. Approximately four miles of water lines and mains were constructed. The original cost was $20,000, with $7,000 improvements up to 1905. the water system operated from this point until 1921.

From 1921 until 1955 the water plant was located on West Cross Street in connection with the  old light plant. Three deep wells and a treatment plant for softening and iron removal had a capacity of one million gallons per day.

From 1959 with a population of 7,607, Forrest City grew rapidly and it became necessary to locate additional water supply and in 1955 a new plant and wells were constructed at the present plant location on North Division Street.

Nall Brantley became manager of the water and sewer departments in April of 1952 and his records reveal that from 1952 through 1969, the city construction crew constructed 171,350 feet of water mains with a value of $435,277.90 and 78,362 feet of sewer mains with a value of $181,731.33. These figures do not include the water and sewer mains constructed in the various sub-divisions by contractors.

To be continued.......

 

 

 

Diesel power generator that provide power to the city.

Old Power Plant Building